Hawser guidance system for a mooring hook assembly

ABSTRACT

The present invention provides a hawser guidance system, adaptable to a quick release mooring hook assembly, which is provided with a hook and a vertical arm supporting a rope carrier that can orient itself aligned with the direction of an incoming hawser or mooring cable, and, optionally, with a righting bar located in front of the hook for righting the eye, in such a way as to guide the eye of the hawser or mooring cable to the hook and to engage the hook of a quick release mooring hook assembly.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates to mooring hook assemblies. Morespecifically, the present invention is concerned with a hawser guidancesystem for a mooring hook assembly.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] Generally, a boat or a ship is secured to a wharf or dock to asecuring device, which is usually a mooring hook assembly, by a mooringcable, having a large eye or loop, running from the ship to the dock,which must be sufficiently tight to prevent excessive movements of theship with respect to the dock. A messenger line is usually attached tothe mooring cable and thrown to the mooring hook assembly. An operatorstanding on the dock receives and secures the messenger line, and makessure that the big eye of the mooring cable is engaged into a hook of themooring hook assembly.

[0003] A number of mooring hook assemblies are available in the art tofasten the mooring cable to secure the ship and also to release themooring cable before the ship sails away from the dock. Mooring hookassemblies generally comprise a main body fixedly mounted on the dockand supporting a hook that may move between an open position and aclosed position to secure the mooring cable by engaging the big eyethereof.

[0004] For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,763,815 (Hodate) describes areleasable mooring hook assembly having one end pivotally mounted on anhorizontal supporting surface of a dock and another end provided with ahook that can pivot between a first opposition in which a bight thereofis open toward the mounted end and a second position in which the bightis open in the opposite direction, the bight being spaced from a pivotaxis of the hook so that a rope held in the hook in the first positiontends to turn the hook into its second position.

[0005] On the one hand, rapid disengagement of the cable is usuallydifficult. U.S. Pat. No. 3,811,720 (Epstein) discloses a fastening meansfor a releasable mooring hook assembly that can be actuated by anoperator on the dock to allow the cable to slip away from the fasteningmeans so that the ship may sail away from the dock.

[0006] Still, engagement of the ship mooring cable to the mooring hookassembly mounted on the dock generally requires hard labor and may bedangerous since the cable is usually of a large diameter and heavy, eventhough efforts have been made in the art to provide improved mooringhook assemblies, such as by providing a multi-part rotatable lever tocatch the cable (see U.S. Pat. No. 3,761,122 (Epstein) for instance).

[0007] Therefore, there is a need in the art for a hawser guidancesystem that facilitates engagement and disengagement of the mooringcable to and from the hook of a mooring hook assembly, without unduemanual intervention, and even in adverse conditions as where wind orwaves are present, for example.

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

[0008] An object of the present invention is therefore to provide ahawser guidance system for a mooring hook assembly to facilitateengagement and disengagement of the mooring hook.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0009] More specifically, in accordance with the present invention,there is provided hawser guidance system adaptable to a mooring hookassembly having a first end mounted on a wharf and a second endsupporting a pivoting line engaging member, the hawser guidance systemcomprising a vertical arm mounted to the mooring hook assembly betweenthe first and second ends thereof to catch and secure a messenger lineattached to an incoming mooring cable running from a ship, so that aneye of the mooring cable is presented over the line engaging member tofacilitate the line engaging member into the eye.

[0010] Other objects, advantages and features of the present inventionwill become more apparent upon reading of the following nonrestrictivedescription of specific embodiments thereof, given by way of exampleonly with reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0011] In the appended drawing:

[0012]FIG. 1 is a side-view of a mooring hook assembly, in a fullyclosed position, provided with a hawser guidance system according to oneembodiment of the present invention;

[0013]FIG. 2 is a side-view of the mooring hook assembly, in an openposition, provided with the hawser guidance system of FIG. 1;

[0014]FIG. 3 is a top of the mooring hook assembly, in a fully closedposition, provided with the hawser guidance of FIG. 1;

[0015]FIG. 4 is a side-view of the mooring hook assembly, in a fullyclosed position, provided with the hawser guidance system of FIG. 1combined with a capstan.

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0016] Generally stated, the present invention provides a hawserguidance system for a mooring hook assembly. Since mooring hookassemblies are believed to be well known in the art, only the partsthereof necessary for the description of the hawser guidance system ofthe present invention will be mentioned herein; therefore mooring hookassemblies themselves will not be described in further detail.

[0017] As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 of the appended drawings, thehawser guidance system 10 according to an embodiment of the presentinvention may be adaptable to a mooring hook assembly comprising anelongated hook supporting member 12 having one end 30 pivotally mountedon a surface of a wharf (not shown) and a line engaging member 14pivotally attached to an other end of the elongated hook supportingmember 12.

[0018] The elongated supporting member 12 conventionally comprises twospaced-apart plates 20 and 22, each comprising a lower end 24, which isof a generally curved or circular configuration, and an upper end 26.The plates 20 and 22 are fixedly attached to one another by a shaft 28and jointly connected to a pivot assembly at the end 30 mounted on thehorizontal wharf, not otherwise shown.

[0019] A free other end of the elongated supporting member 12 pivotallysupports the line engaging member 14 on a shaft 32 connecting the twospaced-apart plates 20 and 22 and parallel to the shaft 28.

[0020] The line engaging member 14 is typically a U-shaped hookcomprising a first leg 34 and a second leg 36, each leg 34, 36 having asubstantially rounded portion 38 and 40 respectively (best seen in FIG.2), and both legs 34, 36 having a common base 42 (best seen in FIG. 1).The U-shaped hook 14 is positioned between the two spaced-apart plates20 and 22 and fastened on the lower end 24 thereof by the shaft 32 whichextends through aligned apertures (not shown) in the two spaced-apartplates 20 and 22, in the base 42 and in the hook 14 respectively.

[0021] The hook 14 may be locked in a closed position illustrated inFIG. 1 and may be unlocked under the tension of a mooring cable, securedto the hook by an eye, to an unlocked position thereof illustrated inFIG. 2. During this pivoting movement of the hook 14 into the unlockedposition of FIG. 2, the free end of the supporting member 12 and thehook 14 mounted thereon are moved upward and away from the surface ofthe wharf (not shown), by a mechanism including a release level 46. Therelease lever 46 is a rotatable lever attached on the upper end 26 ofthe two spaced-apart plates 20 and 22 by means of a bolt 48 runningthrough aligned apertures (not shown) in the plates 20 and 22 and in alower end of the release lever 46. The release lever 46 has a short leg50 through which the bolt 48 passes, and a long leg 52. Such a mechanismis believed to be well known in the art and will not be furtherdescribed herein. It allows a rapid release of the cable 44, since thehook 14 is pivoted by tension of the cable 44, by counterbalancing,after release of the locking mechanism. Once open as illustrated in FIG.2, the hook 14 may be manually reset to the locked position of FIG. 1.

[0022] The hawser guidance system 10 of the present invention comprisesa vertical arm 16 mounted on the elongated hook supporting member 12between the two ends thereof. The hawser guidance system 10 may furthercomprise a righting bar 18 located in front of the line engaging member14.

[0023] The vertical arm 16 may comprises a pair of vertical rods 16′ and16″, raising from mounting brackets 21, 23 provided on the plates 22 and20 respectively. The vertical rods 16′ and 16″ are spaced-apart so thata messenger line 47 attached to the mooring cable 44 passes therebetweenand drops all the way down. An automatic swinging of the arm 16 isallowed under tension of the mooring cable 44 coming from a ship (notshown), which causes the arm 16 to orient itself aligned with thedirection of the incoming mooring cable 44, permitting an eye 45 of themooring cable 44 to presents itself above the hook 14 to facilitateengagement of the hook 14 into the eye 45.

[0024] Moreover, the vertical rods 16′ and 16″ may be so shaped toprovide an neck region 54 to prevent the messenger line 47 from beingpulled out when in a loose condition for example.

[0025] Obviously, the vertical arm 16 may be an articulating arm, abracket or a rope carrier providing that it guides the messenger line 47so that the eye 45 of the mooring cable 44 reaches a location over thehook 14 allowing a direct engagement of the hook 14 into the eye 45.Alternatively, a non-articulating arm may be used.

[0026] The righting bar 18 may be further located in front of the hook14 for righting the eye 45, so as to straighten the mooring cable 44 ifit gets twisted, and also to flatten the messenger line 47, in order tofacilitate engagement of the hook 14 into the eye 45, and inversely, toease disengagement of the hook 14 therefrom (in the opening position asillustrated in FIG. 2). The righting bar 18 may be of a fairlead type ora roller-type. The righting bar 18 may be an open or closed-type. Itslocation relative to the hook 14 of the hawser guiding system 10 mayvary, depending on the type and size of the mooring cable 44 and on anangle of approach of the boat to the deck for instance.

[0027] The hawser guiding system 10 advantageously includes a means ofautomatically swinging the vertical arm 16 to orient itself in thedirection of the incoming mooring cable 44.

[0028]FIG. 1 illustrates a mooring hook assembly in a fully closedposition thereof, when the mooring cable 44 is secured throughengagement of the eye 45 and under strain. In that position, the secondleg 36 is inserted between the two spaced-apart plates 20 and 22, whilethe first leg 34 is in an upward position. An anticlockwise movement ofan end 56 of the hook 14 allows the release of the eye 45 of the mooringcable 44, in the open position showed in FIG. 2, as is well known in theart.

[0029] As should now be apparent, the hawser guidance system of thepresent invention generally comprises a vertical arm mounted on amooring hook assembly at a distance from the hook thereof, which catchesand guides a messenger line attached to an incoming mooring cable andmay orient itself aligned with a direction of the incoming mooringcable. The hawser guidance system may further comprises a righting barlocated in front of the hook for righting the mooring cable, in such away that the messenger line is caught by the vertical arm in a generallyflat horizontal position so that the mooring cable is untwisted and aneye thereof presents itself in a position above the hook allowing aneasy engagement of the eye by the hook.

[0030] In a further embodiment of the present invention, illustrated inFIGS. 3 and 4, the hawser guiding system of the present invention mayfurther include a means to retrieve the messenger line 47, such as apower-operated capstan 60 (electrical, hydraulic or air-operated), whichposition and operation is integral with an automatic operation of thesystem according to the present invention. The capstan 60 may be partand on top of the mooring hook assembly on which the system 10 isadapted, as illustrated in the FIGS. 3 and 4, or separated therefrom ona platform, or even located behind. The capstan 60 is selected withcharacteristic that may advantageously include size, horse-power rating,capstan head design, shape and size, and positioning of the capstan 60in relation to the hook 14 or vertical arm 16.

[0031] People in the art will appreciate that a winch may be substitutedfor the capstan 60.

[0032] Optionally, a roller fairlead 62, comprising for example pulleysor rollers arranged to permit reeling in of the messenger line 47 fromany direction, may be used in conjunction with the capstan 60 to guidethe messenger line 47 to a drum 64 of the capstan 60.

[0033] People in the art will also appreciate that a hawser guidingsystem according to the present invention may be adapted to anyconventional mooring hook assembly as described herein, withoutrequiring complicated, time-consuming and therefore expensivemodifications thereof.

[0034] Although the present invention has been described hereinabove byway of specific embodiments thereof, it can be modified withoutdeparting from the spirit and nature of the subject invention, asdefined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A hawser guidance system adaptable to a mooringhook assembly having a first end mounted on a wharf and a second endsupporting a pivoting line engaging member, said hawser guidance systemcomprising a vertical arm mounted to the mooring hook assembly betweenthe first and second ends thereof to catch and secure a messenger lineattached to an incoming mooring cable running from a ship, so that aneye of the mooring cable is presented over said line engaging member tofacilitate said line engaging member into said eye.
 2. The hawserguidance system according to claim 1, wherein said vertical arm swingsto orient itself aligned with a direction of said mooring cable so thatsaid eye presents itself above the line engaging member of the mooringhook assembly in a generally vertical position.
 3. The hawser guidancesystem according to claim 1, further comprising a means forautomatically swinging said vertical arm to orient itself aligned with adirection of the incoming mooring cable.
 4. The hawser guidance systemaccording to claim 1, wherein said vertical arm is selected from thegroup comprising an articulating arm, a bracket, a rope carrier and anon-articulated arm.
 5. The hawser guidance system of claim 1, furthercomprising a righting bar.
 6. The hawser guidance system of claim 5,wherein said righting bar is located in front of the line engagingmember of the mooring hook assembly.
 7. The hawser guidance system ofclaim 5, wherein said righting bar is selected from the group comprisingopen-type and closed-type.
 8. The hawser guidance system of claim 1,further comprising a means to retrieve said messenger line.
 9. Thehawser guidance system of claim 8, wherein said means to retrieve isselected from the group comprising a power-operated capstan and a winch.10. The hawser guidance system of claim 9, wherein said power-operatedcapstan is selected from the group comprising an electrical, a hydraulicand an air-operated capstan.
 11. The hawser guidance system according toclaim 9, further comprising a roller fairlead.